Sunglasses- who makes decent ones in 2024?

[Mont Blanc]

I don't see what is wrong with still buying a pair of Ray Ban / Oakley / Persol?

I own too many pairs of sunglasses, including about 5 different pairs of Ray Ban and I honestly can't see any difference in quality, at all, between the pairs I have from 15 years and the ones I have bought over the last 1-2 years.

If anything, the more modern materials used in some Ray Bans are of huge benefit. The lightweight rubberised material they use for the tortoiseshell frames on the 'Justin' model as an example. They are brilliant.

Likewise, my recently purchased Oakley's (Holbrook and Frogskins) seem really good quality as well, especially the lenses.

I see no evidence at all for the allegations of Oakley/Ray Ban/Persol etc being poor quality.


As for cheaper glasses, Sungod and Hawkers offer some great products at reasonable prices. I bought a pair of polarised Hawkers with clear frames and blue lenses (basically a copy of the same Oakley Frogskin) to go skiing in, and they were superb for the £35 I paid for them.

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

I just get them from Primark and also I bought multiple pairs of genuine Ray Ban copies, two for 15 Euros when I was in Lanzarote last year. That way I don't care when I lose them or I break them.

Do not ever, ever wear fake sunglasses. That is just absolute stupidity. Unless of course you really don't care about protecting your eyesight, in which case it is totally fine.

Edited by Mont Blanc on Tuesday 25th June 13:19

[Bonefish Blues]

Costa del Mar was a very well respected brand used by many fishermen. Outstanding quality, and cast-iron warranty. It was bought by Big L perhaps 6 or so years ago when Essilor was acquired. Here's an article by a pro captain which sums things up:

https://www.hiltonheadfishingadventures.com/uncate...

ETA

See also the circumstances of their acquisition of Oakley by essentially 'starving them out'

[Patch1875]

I have Sungods for the golf they are very good.

Persol are my usual brand. Still wear the Casino Royale pair which must be getting on for 20yo now.

[Gastons_Revenge]

I too am confused at the allegations of poor quality on Luxottica brands- I have a 20 year old pair of Ray-Ban Wayfairers and a 2 year old pair of Clubmasters, there isn't anything in it. My Clubmasters are probably more durable than the earlier all-acetate framed models because they're metal framed.

[Fastchas]

I look around the airport before flying and just buy what I get drawn to.
Funny enough, the last three pairs have been BLOC. I didn't even know what they were before trying them on.

[Matt..]

GuigiaroBertone said:

I'v enot tried a pair in person, but looking closely at the website they seem to be a marketing phenomenon/ brand exercise. I'll try and find a pair in person.

“Marketing phenomenon/brand exercise” could describe most of the glasses market. They all cost very little to make and sell for huge amounts and I seriously doubt the R&D is costing a large amount for any company. As long as the lenses are good enough and they suit you (fashion), or meet your practical needs then anything else doesn’t really matter. It would be good if lenses had performance/quality standards in the UK.

[Gecko1978]

GuigiaroBertone said:

The Hofff said:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-reinforcer-fire-...

Just the right price range me for me!

Haha! Not doubting the quality/price ratio & I have worn similar clear ones on the bike on overcast days- clear Oakleys are no better

...but I did spec "Holiday" and "vaguely on trend"

I wear the same for tough mudder events. Tinted or clear to keep water debris out of my eyes when wearing contacts. Comfortable and robust plus cheap....not on trend though

[GuigiaroBertone]

Gastons_Revenge said:

I too am confused at the allegations of poor quality on Luxottica brands- I have a 20 year old pair of Ray-Ban Wayfairers and a 2 year old pair of Clubmasters, there isn't anything in it. My Clubmasters are probably more durable than the earlier all-acetate framed models because they're metal framed.

OP here- maybe I was wrong on quality. As a teen I had a pair of OG crystal Frogskins in the early 90s that cost £35/ about 5 weeks wages, but the arm attachments kept snapping and i bought at least three more arms at £10 a go before the frame attachments also gave in. I've bought another pair of Oakleys every 5-10 years or so since and durability is a bit better, but I'm seeing the iridium coating coming off the edges of my 5 year old Frogskins.

i think maybe I'm just being tight/ reluctant to acknowledge inflation but prices seems to have hiked right up- esp with RayBan. I've bought the Justins for £70 about 10 yrs ago and last bought the "new" shape wayfarers for just over £100 3 years ago. The same ones are £150+now.

[CardinalBlue]

caseys said:

Have a look at https://goodr.co.uk/

Lightweight so good for exercise. I’m very fussy on polarised lenses (which oakley’s polarised prizm lenses are still damn good, albeit not great value).

Customer services good. Had a pair where there must have been a defect as the arm sheared off. Emailed them with my order number and a photo and got a gift voucher code to order another pair.

I keep my Oakley now in my car. Have several pairs of Goodr in backpack, other half’s car, luggage etc. Cheap enough to not get annoyed about for example when you leave them at a friend’s house after a bbq and their dog likes them as a chew toy.

andburg said:

I have 2 general pairs, Carreras in the car for driving and some folding rayban wayfarers.

Carreras are now past their best and I was considering sungods/kimoa and stumbled accross Kyloe

https://kyloeinthewild.com/

I expect the lenses across such brands to be much of a muchness and likely come from the same factories in China. Many seem to offer 3 tiers of lense with similar quoted benefits between the tiers. With Kyloe i can get 2 pairs and feel smug about them being recycled materials.

Both of these look right up my street.

Do either use them for running? Both seem to claim they are non-slip... but in my expereince that isn't always the case!

[andburg]

Sorry can’t say as I’m only looking round and I don’t run

[RDMcG]

Have a pair of Serengeti Drivers in every car. My optometrist uses them and that's good enough for me. Have had only good experience.

[pidsy]

joropug said:

I really rate Shady Rays.

The glasses are good quality, if you break them, or they fail or go missing, for the price of postage you can claim a free replacement.

I’ve used this twice after lenses got damaged, have about 6 pairs.

You can also have a flutter at a random pair of polarised glasses for about £15 when you order another pair, I’ve been lucky and had 3 decent ones out of it.

You can usually find a decent discount code online too.

I like their designs - I’m not so keen in trying to work out the size of frame I need!

[C n C]

I have no idea on quality or cost these days, but 15+ years ago I bought a couple of Rudy Project "Rydon" frames and 3 sets of lenses (the lenses are interchangeable), so I got polarised, orange reflective, and clear yellow - the latter for cycling at night/in dull weather.

So far I've not managed to break or lose any of them, so haven't felt the need to look for anything else since - completely happy with them.

[Stick Legs]

Oakley Holbrook.

Love them & have about 5 pairs.

One pair in each car, on the ship, at home, in my travel bag.

Cheap enough. Durable. All day comfort.

Been wearing Oakley since 1992 (Mumbo & Frogskin) and will continue until they stop being as good as they are.

[Mont Blanc]

SpidersWeb said:

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

I just get them from Primark and also I bought multiple pairs of genuine Ray Ban copies, two for 15 Euros when I was in Lanzarote last year.

You were done, they are £1 a pair in their UK stores.

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

That way I don't care when I lose them or I break them.

Exactly, and equally good quality to lots of others sold for many multiple times the price.

Totally fine if you are buying cheapies from Primark and similar. They will all be be tested and CE approved.

But the whole 'Ray Ban copies' thing should be an absolute no-no. Doesn't matter how cheap they are.

[InductionRoar]

One of the most important considerations for me is polarized lenses. To the point that I wouldn't consider purchasing sunglasses without them.

I own a 20 year old pair of wire rimmed Vuarnets for when I don't want a tan outline, Serengeti wraparounds with drivers lenses for the obvious and horn frames with Zeiss lenses for smarter attire. All perfectly suited to their job and I have yet to encounter better for their respective uses.

Having said that, I would be interested in trying out Cutler and Gross though as they seem a quality brand.

[Mont Blanc]

InductionRoar said:

One of the most important considerations for me is polarized lenses. To the point that I wouldn't consider purchasing sunglasses without them.

I own a 20 year old pair of wire rimmed Vuarnets for when I don't want a tan outline, Serengeti wraparounds with drivers lenses for the obvious and horn frames with Zeiss lenses for smarter attire. All perfectly suited to their job and I have yet to encounter better for their respective uses.

Having said that, I would be interested in trying out Cutler and Gross though as they seem a quality brand.

I agree that polarised lenses are superb, but they can be a hindrance in some situations, so it is worth bearing this in mind.

If you need to look at your phone screen often whilst wearing them, then polarised can be an inconvenience. Same goes for any car with a digital screen dashboard, or if you need to look at a camera screen a lot. It's worth having a non-polarised pair for this sort of thing.

But a good pair of polarised for everything else is brilliant.

[Bonefish Blues]

Mont Blanc said:

InductionRoar said:

One of the most important considerations for me is polarized lenses. To the point that I wouldn't consider purchasing sunglasses without them.

I own a 20 year old pair of wire rimmed Vuarnets for when I don't want a tan outline, Serengeti wraparounds with drivers lenses for the obvious and horn frames with Zeiss lenses for smarter attire. All perfectly suited to their job and I have yet to encounter better for their respective uses.

Having said that, I would be interested in trying out Cutler and Gross though as they seem a quality brand.

I agree that polarised lenses are superb, but they can be a hindrance in some situations, so it is worth bearing this in mind.

If you need to look at your phone screen often whilst wearing them, then polarised can be an inconvenience. Same goes for any car with a digital screen dashboard, or if you need to look at a camera screen a lot. It's worth having a non-polarised pair for this sort of thing.

But a good pair of polarised for everything else is brilliant.

Time was when Serengeti Drivers weren't polarised because of the patterns that used to emerge in windscreens under polarisation. I have a couple of pairs

[Dan_1981]

andburg said:

I have 2 general pairs, Carreras in the car for driving and some folding rayban wayfarers.

Carreras are now past their best and I was considering sungods/kimoa and stumbled accross Kyloe

https://kyloeinthewild.com/

I expect the lenses across such brands to be much of a muchness and likely come from the same factories in China. Many seem to offer 3 tiers of lense with similar quoted benefits between the tiers. With Kyloe i can get 2 pairs and feel smug about them being recycled materials.

Also got two pairs of kyloe.

Mix it up with a pair of serengettis that I've had for years.

[InductionRoar]

Bonefish Blues said:

Mont Blanc said:

InductionRoar said:

One of the most important considerations for me is polarized lenses. To the point that I wouldn't consider purchasing sunglasses without them.

I own a 20 year old pair of wire rimmed Vuarnets for when I don't want a tan outline, Serengeti wraparounds with drivers lenses for the obvious and horn frames with Zeiss lenses for smarter attire. All perfectly suited to their job and I have yet to encounter better for their respective uses.

Having said that, I would be interested in trying out Cutler and Gross though as they seem a quality brand.

I agree that polarised lenses are superb, but they can be a hindrance in some situations, so it is worth bearing this in mind.

If you need to look at your phone screen often whilst wearing them, then polarised can be an inconvenience. Same goes for any car with a digital screen dashboard, or if you need to look at a camera screen a lot. It's worth having a non-polarised pair for this sort of thing.

But a good pair of polarised for everything else is brilliant.

Time was when Serengeti Drivers weren't polarised because of the patterns that used to emerge in windscreens under polarisation. I have a couple of pairs

That is very true and a fair point. The only time it affects me though is when filling up. Luckily, my car has analogue dials for the important things.